


Love at First Bullet Wound

by Sandylee007



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Caretaking, F/M, First Meetings, Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-10
Updated: 2016-04-10
Packaged: 2018-06-01 09:41:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6513079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sandylee007/pseuds/Sandylee007
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Have you ever wondered how Clint Barton and Laura first met? Here it is. It's Valentine's Day. A bullet wound in a rather embarrassing spot brings Clint to the hospital where Laura works.  She sees his bare rear and the rest is history.          ClintxLaura ONESHOT                         Previously posted by me on FF.net.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Love at First Bullet Wound

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Hawkeye Farm Tales - A Tale of One Valentine's Day Bullet](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/188794) by Sandylee007. 



> I've been itching to type this for ages and here it is! (grins) Before getting to the story, though...  
> DISCLAIMER: Well THERE'S a joke...! Sadly I own nothing. Which means that I can only dream of spending time with Jeremy Renner... (It hurts to type that, you know?)  
> WARNINGS: mentions of injury, ClintxLaura pairing, a bit of language maybe... which is a shockingly short list from me, actually...!  
> Awkay, because stalling's annoying... Let's go! I really hope that you'll enjoy the ride.

There were days when Laura Morse hated her job as a nurse. That endlessly long evening shift was one of them. A drunken patient had thrown up on her and then proceeded to trying to grope her. In that exact order. A couple of allergic reactions, one of them to a lubricant, followed by a man who'd managed to get beaten up by his lover's wife… Laura was a little too fed up to appreciate the humorous elements. Especially when it was Valentine's Day and after work she was in for a date that she already knew would be a bad one.

When her apologetic looking colleague, Tina Mendez, came to her she had a feeling that she was in for her last straw. "I know, I know, your shift's supposed to end soon. But we just got a guy with a severe concussion and a bullet in the ass. Leeds… needs assistance."

For a couple of seconds Laura could only stare. "What?" She knew that Dr. Lucas Leeds wasn't exactly the best doctor the world had been blessed with. But that he couldn't handle a patient with a concussion and a bullet wound…?

Tina's expression changed into something akin to suffering. "Yeah. So… Help? Please? Before Leeds panics and calls the security. Again."

With a sigh of defeat Laura nodded and they began to walk towards where the patient presumably was. On their way she was handed a patient file. 'Barton, Clint'

They were quite a bit of distance away from their destination when the shouting carried to Laura's ears. The nurses exchanged dark looks before picking up speed. Somehow it felt like they were charging head first into stopping a train wreck.

"… weapons aren't allowed in this facility!" Leeds' uncomfortably high voice, made ever more eardrum piercing by panic, piped up when they were right outside the door.

"… not going to touch them, or me", a considerably lower, threatening male voice growled back.

Laura threw the door open and felt her eyes grow wide at the sight that greeted her. The patient, who'd changed obediently to a hospital gown before things went downhill, stood with his back towards her. Which allowed her a clear view to his bare behind. Even with the nasty wound she had to admit that the sight wasn't exactly unpleasant.

After a few seconds of embarrassing staring Laura shook herself back to a professional mode. "Mr. Barton, would you please lay down?" she requested, her tone revealing that it wasn't a suggestion. She would've asked him to sit down but had a feeling that it would've been a bit too unpleasant. "You have a concussion and you're swaying on your feet. Lay down before you fall down."

Surprised, both men looked her way. There was a mighty bruise and a cut that would've definitely needed stitches on Clint's forehead but she still paused unwillingly to admire the young man's appearance. Their eyes locked and held, as though in some absolutely horrible, clichéd romantic comedy.

The silence in the room was tense as they waited for Clint's next move. Slowly and hesitantly he eventually lay down, so that his gaze was turned away from the rest of them. If that wasn't trust Laura didn't know what was. The small moment was oddly touching.

Dr. Leeds was quick to blow it up. "I still want that bow and arrow out of this building!" Laura hadn't even noticed the mentioned items until the doctor was gesturing animatedly towards them. "The hospital rules…!"

Laura may have been staring at the weapons – 'well isn't this just getting better and better…', she mused - but from the corner of her eye she was also keeping an eye on their fidgety patient. At the unnecessarily loud, harsh words every single muscle in the man's body tensed up. Prepared to fight, flight or quite possibly both. She found herself stiffening as well while anger bubbled in her veins. "Not an option", Clint growled before she could as much as open her mouth.

Laura couldn't even begin to imagine why those items were so important to the man. She spoke before she could process the words to come. "I'll have them put to a secure location, Dr. Leeds. They won't be a problem." She would've liked to promise that the patient wouldn't cause problems, but… Well. She then focused on Clint, who didn't seem happy about the suggestion. "I can't let you keep them while you're here but you'll get them back. I promise."

Clint's jawline tightened. After a long moment he nodded slowly. "Fine." The patient shifted with discomfort. "Look… This is sort of humiliating, so… Could we just, eh, have it over with?"

Laura took a seat from the head side of the bed, hoping that she'd be able to distract him from focusing on Dr. Leeds and Tina. "I take it this is the first time someone's digging a bullet from your butt cheek?" Not exactly appropriate, as Dr. Leeds' choked gasp pointed out.

Clint, however, didn't seem to mind. For the first time he began to relax. "Sadly, no."

Laura's eyebrow bounced up. That… was unexpected. "What are you, then? Some sort of a secret agent?"

Clint smirked. "Yeah. Something like that." Tina snickered at his answer. Laura wasn't so sure he was joking. She was surprised to discover that she really wanted to know.

Finally, the wound had been treated properly. Clint's expression remained unchanged but she could see how he relaxed. She almost felt how he restrained a sigh of relief. Or was it just her?

Dr. Leeds sped out of the room as quickly as he could. Tina followed after putting away all the used equipment, biting her lip to keep herself from smirking. Laura fought the urge to roll her eyes at her friend.

And then it dawned on Laura that she was alone with the strange patient. They looked at each other, their fingers so close to touching that they both felt a tingle. Neither quite managed to pull theirs away.

Laura cleared her throat. She had a very uncomfortable feeling that she was blushing. "So, Mr. Barton… I'll… take care of that head wound of yours, then show you to a patient room."

"Clint", the man corrected her and grunted from pain and effort while pushing himself to a sitting position. They looked at each other again and the grin on his face brought an army of butterflies to the pit of her stomach. His eyes lingered on her a bit longer than he probably meant them to and he scratched his head, embarrassed. "You've seen my bare ass so I think we can move on to first name basis."

Laura couldn't help the disgustingly girlish giggle that bubbled through her lips.

As she began to stitch his wound Laura noticed that he seemed completely, utterly at ease. It was blatantly obvious that he didn't like being in a hospital but at least she no longer prepared herself for possibly having to sprint after him. "Is there any particular reason you don't feel comfortable with doctors?" she inquired.

Clint looked down as much as he could without moving his head. He tensed up but didn't try flee. "A couple of bad experiences."

Clearly that was all he'd say about the matter. Laura knew better than to force him. Instead she shrugged, finishing up her work. "Well, I don't feel comfortable around Leeds, either."

A stupid joke, sure. But it succeeded in coaxing a chuckle from Clint and all tension evaporated. Laura felt a ridiculous, unexplainable desire to make him laugh again.

"So…" There was something vulnerable in Clint's eyes, even if his facial expression was a portrait of confidence. "The thing is, I didn't get the chance to eat anything today. You know, a bullet to the butt and everything. Is there anything in the cafeteria that won't cause a prolonged stay here?"

Laura smiled. "Well. So far there's been no documented cases of food poisoning caused by the tuna sandwiches."

Clint considered for a moment, then nodded. "'kay. A tuna sandwich it is, then." He focused on her once more, clearly trying to find and read something. "You'll… keep company, right? I shouldn't be left alone. A severe concussion, remember?"

Laura rolled her eyes and feigned annoyance. Poorly. "Fine. I'll keep you company", she promised.

Clint's eyes lit up. Or was it just the room's light or her imagination playing tricks? He grinned. "Good. You should get a sandwich, too. I'm buying."

"Well aren't you a charmer", she teased, giving him a pair of underpants and watching him put them on, unable to look away.

"Oh, you don't know even half of it."

They must've been quite the sight when they made their way slowly to the hallway. Neither cared. It didn't cross their minds just yet that the way they walked close to each other had nothing to do with her making sure that he wouldn't slump down on his recently stitched up behind.

 

x

 

When Laura came to work the following day she was unsurprised but disappointed upon finding out that Clint had left the previous night. Apparently he'd been picked up by a visibly exhausted, worried and irritated man who helped him reluctantly to sign the necessary AMA-forms. Phil… something.

Laura's disappointment changed to curiosity when she discovered that an envelope had been left for her. Far more curious than would've been healthy she tore it open. A single arrow fell out.

Tina's eyes widened. "Is that… a threat, or something?"

Laura shook her head. A bright smile appeared to her lips, making her eyes shine. "No. It's a promise."

 

x

 

A long, tedious month later Laura was ordered to handle a man with several broken ribs and a nasty cut on his side. She froze to the room's doorway and was powerless against an embarrassingly wide smile as she recognized her patient. "We have to stop meeting like this."

Clint shrugged, also smiling despite the blood staining his clothes and the pain he had to be in. "Yeah, I know. But… I happened to be in the neighborhood. It felt like a good time to come and pick up that arrow."

It was the first of numerous times Clint came back to Laura.

**Author's Note:**

> Awwww...! Now there's a way to get a date. (chuckles) Poor Clint! But at least he got something pretty awesome as a reward for enduring that humiliation.  
> Sooooo... Any good, at all? PLEASE, do let me know! Comments and kudos-pics are love. And VERY much appreciated...  
> In any case, thank you so much for reading! Who knows. Maybe I'll meet ya again...?  
> Take care!


End file.
